KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 – Parents can opt to keep their children away from school in view of the current haze if they fear for their health, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday.
However, they must notify the school earlier, he added. Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said in a statement that parents could contact the schools, the district education office or the state education department on the status of the school in the haze-affected areas.
Schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Melaka and in the Muar, Ledang and Segamat districts in Johor, Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan and Kuantan in Pahang were closed yesterday.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel told reporters at the lobby of Parliament today that schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur were expected to remain closed tomorrow in view of the worsening haze.
Muhyiddin said that though schools were closed, students should refrain from exposing themselves to the haze even when they were away from school.
“In this matter, the cooperation of parents is necessary to monitor the movement of their children,” he said, adding that students should always wear face masks and drink plenty of water.
He also said that children attending school should be referred to a clinic or hospital if they fell ill.
The deputy prime minister instructed the state education departments and district education offices to monitor the haze situation.
All state education directors should seek the advice of the authorities on the need to close schools and carry out activities involving students, he said.
Muhyiddin advised schools to adhere to the directives issued from time to time on the need to close schools immediately, to cease all activities outside the classroom or stop all co-curricular activities to ensure the health of students.
– BERNAMA
